When Winter Is Most Beautiful
by Music-To-Write
Summary: Christmas is a time for love... for everyone else.  Non-massacre.


So this is a little late for Christmas... but I totally forgot to post it. Sorry everyone. x)

This story is so love-filled, and disgustingly sweet I honestly don't know how to take it seriously... but the holidays are all about love, right?

It's non-massacre, so enjoy. :)

I don't own anything Naruto.

Stay beautiful,

May.

* * *

><p><em>I met him when I was young. When Sasuke, Naruto and I had first become a team, and then when I joined ANBU he became my captain; the man was a certifiable genius, and no one could take that away from him. So when the Uchiha annual Christmas party came around, and our team wasn't deployed on a mission, Mikoto-san made it clear that I was going to the party.<em>

**Christmas Eve:**

I looked at myself in the mirror, and I actually liked what I saw. I wore an emerald green, suede dress with jewels that glittered crystalline around the hip. The dress reached mid calf and flared out at the ends, so that whenever I moved it caught the breeze lightly. It was a halter top, and fit nicer than I thought it would, seeing as how Ino got the dress for me, and the fact that our bust sizes vary dramatically, but that girl knows how to shop for me.

There was only one person I wanted to impress tonight. Someone who was completely out of my league, but I didn't care. I had never met a man who cared for his village so much, or who put his own life on the line for the greater good. No man I knew served his country, and loved his mother more than Itachi Uchiha.

He respected me, and that was something that many shinobi didn't do. Hell, even my own teammates didn't do it most of the time. But he gave me respect without me having to fight for it. He didn't treat me like a hinderance, on missions he would let me fight my own battles, and he never called me weak.

And for that, I fell in love with the man.

Granted, almost the whole female population of the hidden leaf village was in love with the Uchiha heir, and eligible bachelor, but I loved him for reasons that constituted real affection; I loved him for him.

I grabbed the white pea coat on my couch and then I slipped on the emerald green, closed toed, pumps that matched my dress. I looked in the mirror one last time, and I fixed my long, curled, pink hair. The waves cascaded down my bare back and tickled where they ended. The last article of clothing I put on were the white linen gloves that stretched to my elbows and then I was on my way.

I opened the door only to see Kakashi standing there in a very handsome black suit with a festive skinny red tie; his fist was raised to knock on the door. I saw his eye widen a bit before he retracted his arm.

"Hey there," he greeted me, and I smiled widely.

"Hey Kakashi." I greeted back and closed the door behind me, locking it.

"You here to escort me to the party?" I asked with a devious smile. He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his silver head with a nod.

"For once I'm not away on ANBU missions for the holidays; Sasuke said Mikoto-san would castrate me if I didn't go." his nervous chuckle took on a desperate tone and I laughed.

"Well, she invites you every year and you never show up because of missions, and since you have no excuse not to go…" I trailed off and he pouted through his mask; I saw his lower lip jut out.

"Staying home and reading Icha Icha doesn't constitute being too busy to go to the Uchiha Christmas party." I told him bluntly before he could speak, and then there was silence.

"Am I really that predictable?" he finally asked and I laughed whilst my heels clicked on the cobblestone road. Snow fell from the sky at a decent pace, and it added to the good amount that already covered the ground.

"Extremely, Sensei." I couldn't help but revert back to my childhood, and wonder if there was ever a time he didn't read those perverted books. We walked in comfortable silence as the snow fell.

"Did you tell Naruto, and Sasuke yet?" his smooth voice broke through the thick shroud of quiet that the snow casted upon the night.

"Not yet, I will tonight." I practically whispered and I saw him nod his head.

"I don't think they'll approve, but be brave Sakura; you deserve this, you've earned it." his lone eye looked sideways at me and I smiled gratefully.

I took his gloved hand in my own and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Sensei." I whispered and he squeezed my hand tighter.

_Kakashi became more like a father to me after my parents died when I was twelve. Even though he was a huge pervert, I knew he cared; he had never let me down, and I knew he never would. His support was everything I needed to get through that party._

We made our way up to the compound doors, and they were opened for us by one of the many servants. I smiled and thanked the man, who promptly took our coats. I heard Kakashi stifle a laugh and I turned to look at him.

"What?" I was blunt and he laughed even harder.

"Naruto and Sasuke will know you're in ANBU now; that tattoo is pretty obvious against your skin there, Casper." he teased me and I rolled my eyes with a smile.

"Well I can't disguise it, and Ino-Pig made me wear this dress; apparently sleeves aren't 'in'. It's freaking winter… more clothes are always in." I growled irritably and he laughed once more before offering me his arm. I looked up at him questioningly and his charcoal eye twinkled.

"You ready for this?" he asked, and I detected the laugher in his voice before shaking my head.

"As ready as I'll ever be, sensei; thank you for being my date." I smiled up at him and he looked at me tenderly.

"You're my Sakura-chan, I'd do anything for you." he told me softly, and my fathers voice echoed in my head; he said the exact same when he was alive. I leaned against his shoulder and smiled before the twin doors were opened to the ballroom.

People were everywhere. Tables littered the edges of the rectangular room, and they were decorated with sparkling ice blues and silver, resembling a winter-wonderland. The room itself glittered because of the snow-flake based ornaments that hung from the cathedral, creme-colored ceilings. Thin, white barked, trees twinkled with white Christmas lights, silver tinsel hung from every inch of wall, and actual sparkles flitted through the air, and clung to the tables, chairs, floor and even the party guests; it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

The dance floor held many people and I saw someone break through the crowd, it was Mikoto.

"Kakashi-kun, Sakura-chan!" her pleasant voice was just as vibrant as the sparkling, skin-tight silver dress she wore; it complimented her dark hair so nicely that it almost looked blue.

"Mikoto-san! Thank you for inviting us." I thanked the woman and she soon pulled me into a motherly hug that left me momentarily stunned, Kakashi soon followed me after I was released.

"It's no problem at all dear; I'm just so glad you could make it. I'm always begging Kakashi-kun to clear his schedule but he's a busy man, with ANBU and whatnot…" she trailed off and I smiled even brighter; this woman was just too cute.

"I'm sorry Mikoto-san; I honestly was busy." Kakashi told her with a slight bow and the woman giggled whilst waving her hand.

"It's no problem at all Kakashi-kun; just enjoy yourselves will you? If you'll excuse me, I have to go make sure Fugaku isn't drinking himself under the table." the older woman muttered and my eyes widened.

"Thats right!" I found myself yelling to the older woman as she made her way to her husband, wherever he was.

"Tell him that his blood pressure is still too high, and that if I find him drinking after what I saw at his last checkup, there will be consequences!" I screeched across the room and everyone stopped and stared; I think I paled visibly, but Mikoto just laughed with a devious glint in her eyes and a small nod before she disappeared.

"I don't think my mother has ever taken a liking to someone like that before." a calm voice interrupted me from my thoughts and I turned to see Sasuke standing there with a humor-filled smirk on his face.

"Normally, she would've broken anyone in half who spoke of my father that way; she must really like you Sakura. Just don't get caught in her clutches; she's already asked me when I'm going to propose to you… even though she knows we've never dated a day in our lives." he finished and shook his head before looking into the crowd where his mother disappeared moments earlier. I laughed and nodded to him in agreement; I stopped liking Sasuke after I passed my chunin exams. Thank god. We were so much closer after that; I never thought he and I would be best friends, but the world works in mysterious ways I guess.

"I know. Normally she strikes fear into any person who crosses her in any way possible, but I seem to get away with anything, and I keep telling her that we're not together; it's like she's trying to brainwash us into believing we're together or something. Can the sharingan do that?" I asked him in mock seriousness and we both chuckled.

"Not that they've told me, but I doubt my father has taught me all the good jutsu." he replied with a smirk.

"Listen, I'm going to make my way to the cocktail weenie table; those hotdogs always go first." Kakashi broke through our conversation suddenly and I did all I could to keep my uncontrollable laughter contained.

"See you later then, sensei." I told him through my giggle-fit, and he was off with a wave of his hand.

"Every year I tell mother that the weenies go first… she seems to believe I'm lying to her and makes more quiches instead; I just don't get it." Sasuke huffed indignantly, and I shook my head before looking around again.

Mikoto really did know how to throw a great party; everything screamed Christmas, and happiness hung in the air. I breathed in and saw sparkles float across my nose.

"Everything is so beautiful." I sighed and Sasuke nodded his head.

"She always goes out of her way to make everyone happy… and to throw a better party than the Hyuuga's." he added the last bit on and I let a laugh escape.

I spotted Naruto on the dance floor in a handsome pure black suit with a midnight blue tie, in his arms was a radiant Hinata, whose long hair flowed effortlessly as he spun her around; the ice blue silken dress she wore made her pale eyes look light purple. She was absolutely gorgeous, and the way she and Naruto smiled at each other made my heart clench. Love.

"But get this. Mother hates Hiashi, and the rest of the Hyuuga's with a passion, but whenever Naruto brings Hinata over for dinner she dotes on her endlessly; she loves her. But Hinata is hard not to like; I don't know how the dobe got so lucky. She's way too polite for him." Sasuke joked, but when I saw him looking at the happy couple, I could see he was happy for his best friend, but no amount of torture would make him admit it aloud.

"I just can't believe your mother practically adopted Naruto; it's because he's nothing like you Uchiha. You all just 'hn' and nod; I'm pretty sure she needs some excitement in her life, preferably the kind that involves conversations, and Naruto is really good at holding a conversation…" I told my dark haired teammate and he chuckled.

"You got that right; he never stops talking." Sasuke told me and I nodded. I saw him look at the gold watch on his right hand, and I gave a small smile.

"Go ahead; Ino's here somewhere, I can feel her eyes on me as we speak, looking to see if I somehow destroyed this dress." I rolled my eyes and he blushed; I was just glad he didn't spot the ANBU tattoo on my arm yet. Dim lighting could be so useful.

"Go enjoy yourself Sasuke, and be happy; it's the holidays." I touched his cheek with my small hand and he gave me a smile before disappearing into the crowd to go find my blond friend.

"SAKURA-CHAAAAAAAN!" speaking of a blond…

"Naruto!" I screeched as he engulfed me in a bone crushing hug.

"Oops! Sorry!" he released me and attempted to straighten out my dress with a nervous laugh; I just couldn't stay mad at him.

"It's ok Naruto." I reassured him and fixed it myself.

"You look beautiful Sakura-chan." Hinata's feather-soft voice floated towards me from Naruto's left and I immediately blushed.

"Thank you Hinata-chan, so do you; that dress is gorgeous." said woman blushed back, and Naruto laughed at the both of us.

"I think you're both beautiful all the time!" he bellowed with a laugh and both Hinata and I punched him in opposite shoulders.

"Don't be so cheesy you baka!" I scolded him with a laugh, he gave me a sheepish grin, and rubbed the back of his head. The band started playing another song, and Naruto immediately perked up.

"Come on Hinata-chan! I love this song! Bye Sakura-chan, have fun at the party, and don't let Kaka-sensei eat all of the cocktail weenies!" Naruto yelled at me as he drug a flustered Hinata through the crowd. I promptly shook my head at his antics, but smiled nonetheless.

I spotted Ino and Sasuke dancing slowly; their eyes never left one another and my heart clenched at the sight. At least he'd finally found someone to love. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see Mikoto standing there with a sad smile.

"I'm happy for him Mikoto-san. He deserves to be happy, and so does Ino. It took him long enough to ask her out. I thought I was going to have to do it for him. He was so nervous he actually stuttered; Sasuke Uchiha never stutters." I told the woman, and we both chuckled.

"Thank you Sakura-chan." she told me and I gave her a questioning look.

"For being such a good friend to him. You and Naruto have changed him so much, I've never seen him so happy. He's just like his father; all he does is brood. But you've helped him see good things in life. The clan can bring people down, he's not like Itachi, he's not shrewd enough like his older brother to mess with their heads." she snickered and I smirked.

"And who does Itachi take after?" I asked innocently and her eyes narrowed jokingly.

"Oh shut it Sakura-chan; you know who the shrewdy in the family is." she stuck her tongue out at me and I laughed.

"You're a piece Mikoto-san." I told her and she smiled warmly at me.

"So are you Sakura-chan. Now go enjoy yourself! Find yourself a man and dance the night away; there are plenty of eligible bachelors here! Look at over there, that boy looks nice why don't we-" before I could object a voice stopped her.

"Mother, may I steal Sakura-chan for a dance or two?" we both looked back to see the heir to the Uchiha clan, village genius, and my ANBU squad leader, Itachi Uchiha.

He stood tall, and lean, hands in the pockets of his dark blue, almost black, suit. My eyes traveled up and I took in the baby blue, silk tie he wore, and the way the suit fit him perfectly; Uchiha's never spared any expenses, especially tailored suits. I couldn't help but look up at his face. His eyes were black, but the speckled blue he inherited from his mother seemed to shine through, and his dark hair was pulled back to a low ponytail at the nape of his neck.

I prayed that I wasn't drooling.

"Of course Itachi-chan! I was just about to find a young man for Sakura-chan to dance with!" the older woman handed me off to her son, and disappeared into the crowd. I let out a sigh and looked up at him.

"Thank you so much. She was going to pair me up with Lee… I was sure of it. Poor guy's all alone in the corner." Itachi and I glanced to the corner of the room where Lee stood awkwardly with some holiday punch in his hand staring at a lighted ficus.

"Not a problem, I just don't want mother to sink her claws into you. She can charm the most stubborn people into doing her bidding." he told me with a chuckle, and I felt myself blush at the attractive sound.

"Well, thank you anyway Itachi. I'm going to go find-" I tried to walk away but his hand found mine in a gentle hold. I looking at him questioningly, and he regarded me with a boyish grin that made my face heat up even further.

"I told mother I was going to dance with you Sakura-chan; don't make a liar out of me now." he murmured in that deep voice, and I knew I would've agreed to anything that god of a man said.

"Okay." was all I whispered and he led me to the middle of the dance floor.

I knew the man was graceful when he fought, seeing as how he and Shisui practically danced around each other on the battlefield, but to dance with him was something different entirely. He was smooth, and fluid-like, and I felt like I was floating. I think Itachi Uchiha was good at everything.

"The party is beautiful." I whispered in his ear, feeling the need to say something.

Anything.

...

I could never shut up.

"Yes. Mother always knows how to throw the most extravagant of get-togethers." he chuckled again, the humor in his voice was evident, and I could tell that he was used to his mother's antics to outdo the Hyuuga's as much as possible.

We danced for about another two minutes before he spoke again.

"I just wanted to let you know Sakura, that you're the most beautiful woman here tonight." his voice was low, and his breath was hot in my ear, and I swear that I stopped breathing. I pulled away to look at him, and before I could say anything a commotion came from behind me.

"Sakura-chan! What the hell are you doing dancing with teme's bastard of a brother?" Naruto came bursting through the crowd, and was followed by a scowling Sasuke.

"Dobe! He isn't a bastard." was his only retort before his eyes fell on Itachi and I. His eyes narrowed accusingly at his older brother before they fell back on me, and widened so much that I thought they would fall out of his head.

"Sakura… what's that on your shoulder?" he asked in a small voice, laced with disbelief, I sighed and felt the strong urge to crack my neck, for some sort of alleviation to the pain I was about to endure. All of the sudden I felt a hand grip my own and I looked to see Itachi giving it a light squeeze in support.

Thank you Itachi.

"It's an ANBU tattoo you dumb ass. You aren't that stupid Sasuke." I answered with a snort, and I saw his chest puff out.

"But Sakura-chan, you aren't in ANBU; you didn't even take the test!" Naruto decided to speak and I sighed.

"I took the test, and I passed." I answered the looks of confusion on both their faces before realization dawned and my two boys looked ready to kill.

"You can't be serious Sakura? You aren't ready for this. I can't believe they let you join; you aren't strong enough for ANBU." Sasuke said bluntly and I felt the blow to my pride, but I didn't flinch.

"Yeah Sakura-chan! You're too… well, you're Sakura-chan! You can't be an ANBU!" Naruto piped up and I frowned; he might as well have said the same thing as Sasuke.

I was about to defend myself, but I didn't get a chance to.

"You both are terribly mistaken." a silken voice made its way into the conversation and we all looked at Itachi, who was still holding my hand.

"Aniki?" to see Sasuke genuinely surprised was always a treat; I had to hide my smile.

"She took the test and passed with flying colors." Itachi began and both of my teammates mouthes were hanging open, flapping in the breeze.

"She aced the written exam, survived Ibiki's mind games, fought an ANBU elite and beat him into the ground. She earned that tattoo, and her place on the squad." he spoke with such an air of finality, that Sasuke and Naruto were scrambling for words. Sasuke was the first to recover and then he spoke.

"Who did she fight?" he questioned, probably to see if I fought some lame-ass rookie who could be beaten easily.

Way to find the faults, Sasuke.

"Me." Itachi told them bluntly, and their mouthes hung open even wider.

The man wasn't lying; I fought him and won. I don't know how, but I won. For some reason I gained the upper hand, saw my opening, and struck; not even the mighty Itachi Uchiha can fight unconscious.

"B-but no one can beat you!" Sasuke spluttered and I giggled.

"Correction Sasuke; you can't beat me, but Sakura-chan did." Itachi told his brother bluntly and I giggled even more; I saw Itachi give me a side-glance, his smirk in check.

Sasuke and Naruto floundered for a second before both regained their composure.

"How… how come you didn't tell us you made ANBU Sakura-chan?" the hurt was evident in Naruto's voice, and I honestly felt bad for not telling him, but he would have gone and told Sasuke; I didn't want that.

"Because you would have argued with me like you're doing now; I know my limits guys. I trained for months for this, and I got in. Why can't you be supportive friends, and just be happy for me?" I tried to not let them see how their lack of support affected me, but they were my best friends, they could see everything.

Both of them looked at each other, a silent conversation happening.

"We love you Sakura-chan, we just don't want to see you get hurt." Naruto told me with a sigh, and Sasuke nodded.

"If ANBU makes you happy, then we will support you." Sasuke spoke, and nodded once more.

"And she kicks ass Sasuke-chan! You should have been on our last mission!" all of the sudden I saw Shisui break through the crowd with a laughing Hana Inuzuka in tow.

"She had this mist-nin down before Itachi and I could even blink an eye; her tracking abilities are nuts, and she always wins at arm wrestling." Shisui sounded so much like Naruto that I smiled genuinely.

"Thanks Shisui." I laughed, and he winked at me. Both Naruto and Sasuke faltered, but their smiles returned before Naruto leapt on the nearest table, and I hissed.

"Naruto! Get off of the-" I began but he ignored me.

"Hey everyone! Sakura-chan here got into ANBU!" his voice rang loud and clear, and it didn't help that he cupped his hands around his mouth; I wanted to die.

I was suddenly surrounded by other shinobi, being congratulated on my accomplishment. Hands slapped my back in support and I smiled, and thanked each person. I saw Tsunade laughing in the background with Shizune, who was monitoring her drinking. The Hokage winked at me, and held up her sake in a toast before downing it. I laughed and nodded in her direction.

I turned to talk to Itachi, but when I looked he was gone. I frowned and eyed the crowd for his shining midnight hair, but I only saw Sasuke dancing with Ino. I shrugged and figured the crowd was too much for him.

After I got done answering all the questions my co-workers were throwing at me I made my way out onto the terrace. The night air was freezing, but I grabbed my coat from the closet before I went out. I saw my breath come out in crisp, clean puffs, and I smiled.

I looked up to see that snow still fell from the fluffy clouds that littered the sky; the moon was so bright that even behind the clouds it sent a beautiful glow to the land below.

Everything was just beautiful.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" a deep voice broke me out of the snow's trance, and I looked over to see Itachi.

His eyes were light as he looked at me, and I loved the carefree smile that graced his lips. I didn't blush under his gaze, he made me feel so comfortable, something that I seemed to be lacking since my parents passed away.

"Extremely. I love the snow." I sighed and leaned against the white railing. He nodded in agreement, and all was quiet for a moment.

"You know, I was serious as to what I said earlier tonight." he said casually, and I felt my heart rate increase.

"Hmm?" I decided to play dumb, and gave him the best confused look I could muster. He chuckled in response.

"You know Sakura-chan, you're a horrible liar." he chastised in the smooth voice of his, and I had to fight the shiver that wanted to wrack my body.

He was coming closer, like a lion prowling towards its next meal. I stayed rooted to the spot; he was an ANBU captain, if he wanted to get ahold of me, I would never be able to fight him off.

"Refresh my memory?" I asked with an innocent tone, and his eyes narrowed playfully before his arms wrapped around my waist, circling my lower back.

"I said, you're the most beautiful woman here tonight." he whispered lowly in my ear, and this time my body shuddered, but I loved every minute of it.

"I won't tell your mother you said that." I whispered back playfully in his ear, and he let out a laugh before tightening his hold.

"Sakura, will you go out on a date with me?" he asked, and pulled back to look at my face. I knew I was gaping but I couldn't help it.

He was asking me out. Me. I just couldn't wrap it around my head. I was damaged goods, the list of failed boy friends stretched for miles, I was too consumed in my medical work for my own good, and, as for the looks department, I think they skipped over me more than a couple of times. Why would this man want me? It just didn't make sense. All of the other kunoichi, and he wanted me.

I saw his eyes darken for a moment, and I could tell he knew what I was thinking.

"Stop belittling yourself, Sakura." he scolded me, and his tone struck me like a bucket of ice cold water.

I sighed and looked away, to which he gently guided my face back to his with his warm palm. The look in his eyes made me gasp, and I found myself unable to look away.

Love.

It was right there, in those beautiful black, and cobalt blue-flecked eyes.

"You are the greatest woman I know, and you have the biggest heart I have ever bared witness to." he barely spoke above a whisper, but a whisper was all I needed to hear.

"You save hundreds of ninja, and civilians alike, your medical work is unbelievable, you cured the deterioration of the eye that the Sharingan causes, you brought my brother out of the depression that my clan put him in, you've saved Shisui and I numerous times on ANBU missions, you're unbelievably strong, and you've proved yourself as so by becoming Tsunade-sama's apprentice." he went on to list my accomplishments, and my eyes became the size of saucers. He looked at me with a pleading expression, like he was trying to make me understand, like he wanted me to see myself as he saw me.

"And you're beautiful. The most beautiful woman in the village, in the world. Don't you understand? Can't you feel my heart beat fast every time I see you?" he asked, and placed my hand where his heart was located; it was beating erratically and I gasped before looking into his eyes again.

"And I love you for that. For saving people, for showing unparalleled kindness, for helping my brother, for making my mother happy, and for making me love you. I love you so much it makes me dizzy sometimes." he finished and all I could do was stare.

He loved me for me. It was so painfully obvious I felt my heart swell in my chest, and a feeling of giddiness took over.

"You love me, for me?" I whispered, and he chuckled before leaning his forehead against my own.

"Yes, with all my heart." he responded, and his eyes held so much sincerity I wanted to cry. Slowly his palms found the sides of my face, before he leaned down to kiss me.

The kiss was soft, like a brand new down pillow, and filled with love, over flowing with it actually. I giggled into the kiss, and gripped the front of his jacket in an attempt to pull him closer. He chuckled, and deepened the kiss to which I couldn't get enough of him. He made my toes curl pleasantly, and my hair stand on end. It was perfect.

We pulled back, and our foreheads rested together as we each caught or breath.

"Itachi?" I asked, and he looked at me with a smile.

"Hmm?" he hummed, and I grinned.

"I love you too. So much." I admitted, and his eyes went wide.

"Sakura, you don't have to say that just because I-" he spoke quickly but I stopped him.

"No. I love you." I told him and he looked confused. I laughed at the adorable face before cradling his cheek with my palm.

"I love how dedicated you are to your village, and how selfless you are on ANBU missions." I stroked his cheek with my thumb, and he leaned into it, our eye contact never breaking.

"You protect your family without a second thought, and you're such a mama's boy, and I love it." I told him, close to tears and he chuckled.

"But what I love most of all, is the level of respect you show me." he seemed surprised at this.

"You don't label me as 'weak', you let me fight on my own, and make my own mistakes, but you always respect me and treat me as a teammate, not a problem; I love you so much for that." I finished, and before I knew it he was kissing me again. The fervor in the kiss made my head spin, and I smiled against his moving lips.

"YES! YESYESYES!" Itachi and I turned towards the feminine cheer to see Mikoto doing a victory dance in the middle of the open door, behind her stood almost the whole party.

"Umm… Mikoto-san?" I whispered and she clapped her hands together.

"Just call me 'Mama', Sakura-chan!" she squealed and danced more.

"SAKURA-CHAN, YOU'RE MAKING OUT WITH TEME'S BROTHER." Naruto pushed his way through the crowd with blazing eyes, and was followed by a gaping Sasuke.

"Sakura… and Itachi… together?" the words left Sasuke's mouth, and Ino tried to comfort him while holding her own laugh at bay.

"It'll be a winter wedding, Sakura-chan! I know how much you love the snow, and Itachi-chan does too! Oh, it'll be beautiful!" Mikoto cooed and I was in a mild panic.

"Mother, you're scaring her." Itachi grumbled, and Mikoto blushed.

"Sorry sweetie; I'm just so excited! You've finally found someone who loves you." Mikoto was so proud of Itachi you could almost see her glowing with pride. He smiled down at me and pecked me on the lips once more before Mikoto spoke again.

"When should I expect grandchildren you two? I want to know when I should start to convert the guest bedroom!" she giggled.

WHAT?

The last thing I remember was Itachi calling out my name, and then I promptly fainted.

…

My eyelids fluttered open, and I groaned.

"Good morning." a smooth voice called from my left, and I looked over to see Itachi. He was smiling at me, and an air of deviousness surrounded him.

"Hey. What happened?" I asked and scratched my head. I'm pretty sure my hair was a mess, but at the moment I didn't care.

"Well, you promptly fainted after my mother started mentioning weddings and grandchildren." he admitted with a sheepish smile, and my mind went hazy again.

"Oh no you don't koishii, don't you dare faint on me again. Everyone is gone, so there's no need." he told me with a chuckle, and indeed we were in a dark blue room, and I was engulfed in midnight blue silken sheets.

"That was so embarrassing." I moaned dramatically as my head hit the pillow.

The whole party probably laughed at me afterwards. I don't think I'm ever going to ANBU headquarters again; those bastards will all laugh at me.

Fuck my life.

"I just wish mother would have let me propose to you myself, instead of doing it herself, obviously she feels the need to question my masculinity." Itachi muttered flatly and I choked on my own spit before fainting. Again.

Next time I wake up, he and I are going to have a long talk about DATING before marriage.


End file.
